Liquefied gas storage and dispensing system



17, 1939. 1.. J. 'WHITE 2,176,829

LIQUEFIED GAS STORAGE AND DISPENSING SYSTEM Filed March 12, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 7 I r 1 Oct. 17, 1939.. L. J. WHITE LIQUEFIED GAS STORAGE AND DISPENSING SYSTEM F'iled March 12, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 L. J. WHITE LIQUEFIED GAS STORAGE AND DISPENSING SYSTEM Oct. 17, 1939.

Filed March 12,1938 3 Sheets-Sheet s Patented Oct. 17, 1939 PATENT OFFlCE LIQUEFIED GAS STORAGE AND DISPENSING SYSTEM Loyd J. White, San Antonio, Tex., assignor to Southern Steel Company, a corporation of Texas Application March 12, 1938, Serial No. 195,627

6 Claims.

This invention relates to liquefied gas storage and dispensing systems and,.among other objects, aims to provide dispensing. appurtenances including a greatly improved combination valve and gauge fitting and pressure regulators for delivering the stored gas in its liquid state or phase under reduced pressure from the storage tank to a basement or a building where it is vaporized and delivered at the required service pressure to w a service pipe. The invention involves certain improvements on the general type or systemshown in my oopending application Ser. No. 169,699, now matured into Patent No. 2,121,675.

Other aims and advantages of the invention w will appear in the specification, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings,

wherein:

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, of a system embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view on an enlarged scale showing the improved fitting of Fig. i; and

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are sectional views taken on the lines 3-3, i 5 and -5-5, respectively, in Fig. 2.

In underground liquefied gas systems for dispensing gas vapor from the tank, it has been found that when mixtures of butane and propane, for example, are used, the more volatile propane will vaporize faster than the butanmand cause the B. t. u. content of the gas mixture to vary. This is especially true in cold climates. These gases remain mixed practically uniformly in the liquid state. Therefore, it is desirable to dispense them initially from the storage tank in the 35, liquid state and thereafter vaporize the mixture either inside a building or somewhere in the service line where the temperature is sufficiently high to vaporize the gas constituents rapidly and uniformly at a reduced pressure. The 40 present invention provides a system of this type employing a greatly simplified unitary combination valve and gauge fitting adapted to be secured to a standpipe and carrying a liquid eduction tube projecting into the bottom portion of the tank. 7

Referring particularly to the drawings, there is shown an underground system having a storage tank ill to which is connected a standpipe. it within a protecting housing l2 having a remov- 50 able cover It. The improved unitary fitting emlwdies a casing l4 having a screw threaded extension t5 connected to the top of the standpipe and has branches or conduits for the various valves and devices hereinafter described. It has 55 a dispensing branch I6 carrying a cut-off valve I? in an outlet conduit i8. Liquid gas is delivered to the outlet conduit 18 by a tube i9 depending from the fitting through the standpipe to a point near the bottom of the tank by the pressure of the gas vapor above the liquid level in the tanir.

From the conduit (8 the gas passes through a nipple extension 20 carrying an excess flow ball valve 2! adapted to be adjusted by a screw threaded sleeve fitting and seat 22 carrying a compression spring 23 to regulate the flow in accordance with the maximum demand for gas, the arrangement being such that the valve will close in case the service pipe breaks or the fiow is excessive for any reason. The nipple extension is connected by an ordinary union coupling 24% to a small pressure reducing regulator 25 which is shown as being vented by a vent pipe 26 extending upwardly inthe protecting casing 62. The pressure reducing regulator is set to deliver the liquid gas at about 5 pounds pressure to a service pipe 2? passing through one side of the casing near the bottom, whence it passes into a basement of a building where the liquid remaining in the service pipe is completely vaporized conveniently by a finned tube section 28 leading through a second cut-ofi valve 29 ,and a second pressure reducing regulator 30 having a vent pipe at. Thence, it passes into the house service pipe 2';

Referring now to the fitting, separate gas filling and gas venting branches 33 and 36%, respectively, are shown as extending from opposite sides of the casing M (Fig. 5). shown as having an upstanding extension within which is screwed a hose fitting 35 having a valve seat 31 in its lower end. It is adapted to be closed by an ordinary plug or cap 38. An ordinary spring check valve or filling valve 39 cooperates with the valve seat and is supported by a screw threaded thimble 40 in the lower portion 0!. the extension 3'5. When the filling cap 38 is removed and the filling hose is connected, the hydrostatic pressure of the liquefied gas in a service truck tank automatically opens the check valve 39. Cooperating with the thimble fitting All is a back flow check valve 4i suspended from a spider within the thimble and adapted to be closed by the pressure of the gas in the storage tank when the hose fitting 3fi is removed to repair or replace the filling valve 39.

Referring to the vapor return or gas venting branch, a dip tube 42 is shown as being connected to the inner end of the branch conduit and extends through the standpipe to the maximum The filling branch is level of the liquefied gas in the storage tank to prevent overfilling the tank and provide an adequate vapor space above the maximum liquid level. Thisbranch likewise has an upstanding extension 43 carrying a hose fitting 44 closed by a cap or plug 45. In the upper end of the conduit and within the fitting there is shown the usual spring urged vapor return valve 46 having astem 41 adapted to be engaged by the hose when it is screwed on the fitting automatically to open the valve and it will close to prevent escape of gas vapor when the hose is disconnected. To prevent escape of gas through the vapor venting hose in 'case the hose is broken, there is shown an excess flow ball check valve 48 in the lower portion of the vertical extension 43 cooperating with a seat 49 inserted in the vertical branch and serving also to carry the spring 50 for the valve 46.

' Another branch (Fig. 4) shown as extending radially from the casing l4 carries a safety relief valve. In this instance, it also has a vertical branch or extension 52 and is provided with a seat 53 having a valve 54 normally held closed by a coil spring 55 the compression of which may be varied by an adjustable plug 56 so that the pressure at which the valve will open may be regulated in accordance with the requirements. The vertical extension is shown as having a vapor discharge opening or outlet 57 adjacent to the valve 54 so that the vapor can escape into the protecting housing l2 and, thence, to the atmosphere through a space between the cover flange and the housing.

To determine the liquid level or quantity of liquefied gas in the tank, a slip tube gauge of the well known type is mounted in the casing l4. It comprises a threaded body 58 screwed into a central boss 59 on the housing l4 and carrying a valved-slip tube 60 slidably mounted in a .stufiing box 6|. The head 62 is shown as being protected by ascrew cap 63. The lower end of the slip tube carries a collar or stop member 64 to prevent the tube from being withdrawn through the body.

. The construction is such that the slip tube gauge may be removed from the tank either independently of or as a unit with the fitting.

An ordinary pressure gauge 65 is shown as I being connected to one side of the fitting between the filling branch and the gas delivering branch. It is arranged, face upwardly, so that it may be easily read when the cover l3 of the protecting casing is opened.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the improved composite fitting provides all of the valves and'gauges necessary for dispensing gas in the liquid state. It carries only three small tubes projecting through the standpipe into the tank, thus enabling a smaller standpipe to be used than would be required if a float had to be inserted in or removed through it. Moreover, such fittings are easily installed and eliminate the possibility of making mistakes incident to using separate valves and other fittings. Further, the number of pipe joints is reduced to a minimum. Systems of this type are eminently adapted for use in cold climates.

Obviously, the present invention is not restricted to the particular embodiment thereof herein shown and described.

What is claimed is: I

1. In 'a liquefied gasdispensing system of the type described having a pressure storage tank and a standpipe connected thereto, a fitting comprising a unitary hollow casing removably connected to the standpipe and having an integral outlet conduit extending into the hollow portion thereof and connected to a service pipe; a liquid eduction pipe extending through the standpipe into the bottom portion of the tank and connected at its upper end to the inner end of said outlet conduit; and a tank filling valve and a liquid level gauge also connected to said fitting.

2. In a liquefied petroleum gas dispensing system having a standpipe connected to a storage tank, a unitary fitting comprising a hollow cast metal casing removably connected to said pipe and having a conduit formed therein connected at its outer end to a service pipe carrying a pressure regulator; a liquid eduction pipe removably connected to the inner end of said conduit within the fitting and extending into the bottom portion of the tank; and an upstanding valved filling branch formed integral with said casing.

3. In a liquefied petroleum gas dispensing system having a standpipe connected to a storage tank, a unitary hollow fitting removably connected to said pipe and having an outlet conduit formed therein connected to a service pipe carrying a pressure regulator; valved filling and vapor return conduits integral with the fitting; a liquid eduction pipe removably connected to the inner end of said conduit and extending into the bottom portion of the tank; and a dip pipe connected to the vapor return conduit and extending through said standpipe to the maximum liquid level in the tank.

4. In a liquefied petroleum gas dispensing system having a standpipe connected to a gas generating and storage tank, a unitary hollow fitting removably connected to said standpipe and having an integral outlet conduit connected to a service pipe carrying a pressure regulator; a liquid eduction pipe connected to the inner end of said conduit within the fitting and extending into the bottom portion of the tank; a valved filling branch formed integral with the fitting and having a hoseconnection; a back flow check valve in said branch to prevent escape of liquid or gas when the filling valve is removed or if the filling conduit develops a major leak or is broken; a valved ating tank, a single standpipe in a protecting housing; a multiple valve fitting connected to the top of the standpipe and having filling and vapor return valves and hose fittings; an integral outlet conduit in the fitting connectedto a service pipe;

a back fiow check valve in the filling connection; an excess fiow check valve in the vapor return conduit to prevent an excess of vapor from escaping if the vapor return conduit develops a major leak or breaks; an excess fiow check valve in said outlet conduit to prevent an excess of vapor from escaping in case of a major leak or a break in the service pipe; a manually operable cut-oil valve also in said outlet conduit; a branch in the fitting, carrying a safety relief valve; a slip tube gauge and a pressure gauge connected to the fitting; a liquid eduction pipe depending from the fitting through the standpipe into the bottom portion of the tank and connected to the service conduit; and a dip pipe communicating with the vapor return conduit and extending.

through the standpipe into the tank to the maximum liquid filling level for the purpose of trapping vapor under pressure above said maximum filling level to prevent overfllling the tank.

6. As an article of manufacture, a fitting for liquefied gas dispensing systems of the class described comprising a metal casing adapted to be connected to a standpipe and having an integral outlet conduit to be connected to a service pipe,

filling and vapor return conduits in the casing having hose fittings; a back flow check valve in the filling conduit; an excess flow check valve in the vapor return conduit to prevent an excess of vapor from escaping if the vapor return conduit breaks; an excess fiow check valve in the outlet conduit to prevent an excessive escape of gas in case of a major leak or a break in the service pipe; a manually operablecut-ofi valve in the outlet conduit; a branch in the casing carrying a safety relief valve; a slip tube gauge and a pressure gauge also connected to the casing; a liquid eduction pipe connected to the outlet conduit and adapted to extend through the standpipe into the bottom portion of a storage tank; and a dip pipe communicating with the vapor return conduit also adapted to be inserted through the standpipe into the storage tank to the maximum liquid filling level for the purpose of trapping vapor under pressure in the tank above said liquid filling level to prevent overfilling the tank.

LOYD J. WHITE. 

